William Connelly (c. 1760–?)
William Connelly (c.1760- ) and Edward Perrott were found guilty on 3 February 1785 at the Bristol Quarter Sessions of stealing clothing from an alehouse. Sentenced to 7 years transportation the men were sent to the Ceres hulk, where they remained until they embarked for New South Wales on the Alexander in January 1787, arriving in Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.
William Connelly married Elizabeth Thomas at Sydney Cove on 19 October 1788; their son William, who was baptised on 5 July 1789, lived for only three months.
Connelly and his wife were sent to Norfolk Island on the Sirius in March 1790. By March 1791 they were living on a one acre Sydney Town lot. Connelly was a member of the night watch by the end of the year. By May 1792 he was selling grain and meat to the government stores.
Connelly left Norfolk Island on the Sugar Cane in October 1793 for India. His pregnant wife remained on the island and by 1796 was living with James Waterson.
* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), pp 80-81
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Waterson, Elizabeth (wife)
- Connelly, William (son)
- Perrott, Edward Bearcroft (criminal associate)
Citation details
'Connelly, William (c. 1760–?)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/connelly-william-30592/text37919, accessed 13 October 2024.